Continental's turn-off assistant for retrofitting detects and classifies pedestrians, cyclists and scooters in the blind spot next to the bus or truck and warns the driver accordingly. In Germany alone, right turn assistants could prevent 36 percent of all fatal bicycle accidents. By 2024, such systems will gradually become mandatory equipment in all new trucks in the EU. Voluntary retrofitting can thus close the equipment gap in already registered trucks with state subsidies. More than three million trucks are currently registered in Germany. The device can be easily fitted to the vehicles. The radar sensor system is attached to the exterior mirror and monitors the area up to four metres next to the vehicle and up to 14 metres to the rear.
In contrast to earlier solutions, the current device is capable of precisely detecting human road users, according to the manufacturer. A few years ago, a large truck manufacturer launched a similar radar-based device on the market, but it did not catch on. According to insiders, false-positive reports were often received: The device tended to interpret roadside trash cans as people.
Related articles:
Right-turn assistant protects cyclists
Designing safe context-aware AI assistants for car drivers
Intersection assistant systems make use of car-to-x communications
Bike-to-x communications protect motorcycle riders
